Insolent
by Madame Band Geek
Summary: Honestly, how much trouble can a Water Tribe peasant be? Zuko's about to find out, folks. Oneshot.


Insolent

This was weirdly inspired by thelyrics "_Is this more than you bargained for yet?"_

* * *

Really, she was much more than he thought she'd be.

She sighs and tugs at the chains that are keeping her in place. She hasn't been speaking since he brought her in. Which would be three and a half hours ago.

He rolls his eyes. It's very tiring, shouting at a stupid girl, trying to get her to speak.

Honestly, how much trouble can a Water Tribe peasant _be_? He's a Fire Nation prince, after all.

(Alright, an exiled prince. But still.)

Oh, how he regretted capturing her. Her older brother might be more bearable than a smart-alecky _girl_ who refuses to talk.

She notices him glaring at her. So she glares back with her alarmingly blue eyes. So he glares back with his amber ones.

"Talk, you insolent peasant!" He finally roars. He's always been impatient.

Girls are _so_ unbearable, he decides.

This has been going on for quite a while. She glares, he glares back. And then when he gets annoyed enough he shouts. But she just continues to glare.

(Smart girl.)

But, it really could be worse, he reasons. She could just not shut up.

He shudders at that thought.

(On the inside. He never shows emotion on the outside, ever. Well, he tries not to.)

He decides that he likes the silent insolent peasant much more than a jabbering insolent peasant.

(But not by that much. She's still insolent.)

"You're impossible," He sighs, "Fine, let's do it your way. What's your name?"

She just looks at him. I'm not going to tell you, her eyes say.

He suppresses a roar and that stupid vein throbs again. "Alright then, if that's how you want it... my name is Zuko. And if you don't tell me your name I'll burn you to a crisp."

She really doesn't want to respond to anything. It's just too funny to watch his feathers get ruffled.

(He reminds her of a squawking chicken.)

But she decides to forsake this plan and she smirks. "Then you really won't know anything, will you?"

So she does speak! His mind chimes. He shushes himself.

(On the inside. He never shows anything on the outside.)

(Well, maybe exempting extreme annoyance.)

He grits his teeth in anger. "Fine." He hisses dangerously.

(Like some sort of demented snake.)

She tugs experimentally at her bonds. "My name's Katara. Are you happy now?"

"Where's the Avatar?"

Once again his pride has run ahead of him before his brain could even catch up.

(If he even _has_ one.)

Katara's eyes narrow. He winces.

(On the inside!)

Instead she laughs.

He blinks.

She's laughing so hard she's bent in half and tears are tracking down her face. She looks up at him and dissolves into fresh peals of laughter.

He bristles.

(Like an annoyed chicken.)

He doesn't like being laughed at. And he'll never, _ever_ understand girls or why they laugh at every man's mistake.

"You never give up, do you?" Katara says when she's sobered, "Maybe that's your one redeeming quality."

His eyes nearly pop out of his head. She's insane, he concludes.

She raises her laughing eyes to meet his startled ones. "I'm not that crazy so stop looking at me like I am. But maybe you are. You just don't give up."

"Neither do you." This time he smirks. Finally, he has said something witty.

(Brain: 2, Pride: 1)

She blinks and then she grins. She rests her head against the wall.

"So when do you plan on letting me go?"

(Does this peasant not understand kidnapping? You just don't let her _go_.)

"When you tell me where the Avatar is or when he comes to rescue you. Whichever ones comes first."

"You know if you kill him you'll only have to find him again." She points out.

"I can always find him again!"

(Damn that pride!)

Katara rolls her eyes.

"I don't _plan_ on killing him," Zuko says, "I just plan on keeping him forever."

He's talking to her as if he's talking to an idiot.

(After all, she is still a peasant. But a pretty one at that.)

Katara sighs. "Don't you know that I won't tell you anything?"

"You'll tell me something as soon as you're a crisp on the ground!"

(Brain: 2, Pride: 3)

"But if I'm a crisp on the ground I'll be _dead_." The unsaid _duh_ is evident in her voice.

His eye twitches and she giggles.

"You're funny, don't you know that?"

He's not supposed to be funny. He's supposed to be intimidating.

"I'm not funny!"

Katara's giggles grow. "But you sure are."

Zuko buries his face in his hands. "You're impossible. Where's the Avatar, peasant?"

Katara glares for a change. "My name's Katara, not peasant. And I'm never telling you where the Avatar is going."

Besides, she mentally adds, we'll just head in the opposite direction as soon as I get back.

"But I know you'll head off in a completely different direction than the one you told me," Zuko smirks.

Katara gulps.

(Okay, maybe he actually _does_ have a brain…)

"So I'll just keep you here until the Avatar comes along."

Katara is unable to think up a witty response to that. So she just glares.

And he glares back.

(Back to square one…)

* * *

The Authoress Speaks: Yeah. I have no explanation for that.

I sort of want to do a _Postcards from Insanity_ for Avatar. Kind of like _Kiss THIS,_ but not really.


End file.
